The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has a case fatality rate of approximately 48%, is already the worst in the world when compared to other outbreaks at the same stage, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Director-General Jean Kaseya has warned.

The DRC had recorded approximately 9,600 confirmed cases and 4,600 deaths as of October 18, highlighting the severity of the outbreak, which the continental health agency says must be treated as an emergency.

“If we take a picture today and we compare it with all other outbreaks at the same period of time, it’s already the worst one in the world,” the Director-General said.

He described the situation as extremely serious, calling for urgent and coordinated action across Africa to contain the outbreak and prevent further spread.

While the DRC remains the epicentre, new cases in Kenya and Nigeria have heightened concerns about cross-border transmission and the ability of countries to detect and contain infections.

Kenya has reported nine cases, with the latest confirmed case on October 20.

One additional Ebola case has been confirmed, bringing Kenya’s total to nine. All nine cases are linked to one known cluster, with no evidence of transmission outside the group. Eight patients are stable and responding well to treatment, while 134 of 135 contacts have been traced… pic.twitter.com/CpEhWermdV

— Ministry of Health (@MOH_Kenya) October 20, 2026

Kaseya said all identified cases had emerged from an existing contact list, suggesting that health authorities were tracing infections among known contacts.

He urged the public not to panic, saying the situation was under control in Kenya while emphasising the need for continued surveillance.

In Nigeria, authorities had identified 44 contacts for monitoring as they continued efforts to trace additional contacts and prevent further transmission.

PRESS STATEMENT
STAY INFORMED. STAY SAFE.

Public health is a shared responsibility, and the right information helps us all stay safe.

The Federal Government, working with the NCDC and relevant health authorities, is taking the necessary steps to protect public health and… pic.twitter.com/eVGeo18UVu

— Federal Ministry of Health, NIGERIA (@Fmohnigeria) October 20, 2026

Uganda, meanwhile, has declared its outbreak over, although Africa CDC remains vigilant over the risk of cross-border infections.

The Director-General said the priority was to help African countries detect cases early, trace and monitor contacts, and protect healthcare workers and health facilities.

He warned that progress in containing the outbreak in one country could be undermined if neighbouring states lacked the capacity to detect and respond to new infections.

Africa CDC urged governments to sustain surveillance, strengthen contact tracing and improve coordination across borders to contain the outbreak and protect public health.